“Responsible pet owners face substantial costs for treatment, examination, and mandatory vaccination. This situation presents a clear need for tax deductions to ease the financial burden of pet healthcare. Currently, social tax deductions are available only for personal healthcare expenses or those of family members,” LDPR representatives said.
The bill’s authors stress that to qualify for the deduction, pet owners must officially register their animals.
“We believe that this tax deduction will encourage a widespread registration of animals,” stated Evgeniy Markov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources, and Environmental Protection and a member of the LDPR faction. “In cases where a pet is found unattended, its registration number can facilitate identification within the system.”.
The draft bill proposes amendments to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, introducing a clause that would enable pet owners to claim a social tax deduction for expenses on animal health products and veterinary services.
Notably, this proposal for a tax deduction on veterinary services has been put forward multiple times in Russia. It is supported by the Pet Industry Union. “The cost of veterinary care has risen lately, leading some pet owners to skip vaccinations and routine check-ups, as it has become a bit expensive for them. A tax deduction could become a nice bonus for pet owners,” Tatyana Kolchanova, General Director of the Union, previously told V&L.
